Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Time and Equilibrium

time and equilibrium:

there is a philosophical question, how real is time? is it just an artificial theoretical construct or is it something more substantial, more real? it is assumed essentially that the quantity of what exists fundamentally does not change, and that there are constants in the universe, and perhaps change, which is what time involves, is unimportant.

imagine a simple reality, where the person is confined to a single room, where there are no doors, no windows, indeed nothing beyond this room. at the end of every day, when this person is tired, he or she goes to bed and, in the morning, gets up and stands by the bed, in the same place every time. the person thinks about everything that has been done, all the positions in the room he or she has stood, but cannot escape the fact that every morning, he or she will stand in the same place by the bed. there is an equilibrium in space and time.

even in a complex reality as ours, there are equilibrium positions in many senses. we are, for the most part, healthy, intact, and free from injury or illness. people strive for a "healthy balance" or equilibrium in life, not to pursue obsessively certain things, to be free of addictions, to do nothing to disturb the balance.

when we try new things, when we get away from routine, we are entering the unknown in space and time, uncharted areas if you like. there are risks but of course there may be rewards, which is why we strike into the unknown. the person in the single room may be trapped, but secure forever. we are allowed greater exploration, but the potential for danger is greater too. however, as curious animals, the longing for new experiences is common.

the question lies with satisfaction. will we ever be satisfied with what we have already?